The Fresh Start, Called Amnesia
by Destiny'sPathlayer
Summary: In this sequel to 'The Road to Happiness, The Long One', Callum Orson finds himself in the X-Mansion, unsure of who or where he is, only remembering his name. The X-Men take him under their wing, and Callum struggles to fit in and find answers about his past. As he tries to find out his past, he must trust and tread carefully, as one wrong move could mean he never makes it home...
1. Chapter 1

The Fresh Start, Called Amnesia

"We need only to follow ourselves to find the truth of our hearts"

A/N: In this story, only Ororo, Beast, and Logan (and yes, Charles) are grown up, with everyone else still teenaged. Emma Frost is also a teenager, as she plays her part well as such. Logan, as you may recall from the last story, has met Callum, and roughly understands him.

Callum Orson, a young man, found himself in an exquisite mansion. Everything was a beautiful chocolate wood, with archways and pillars to provide stability. Callum seemed to stand in a front hallway, with the door to the outside world behind him. Stairs were in front of him, with a large, looming window above them, seeming to brighten each step in a cheery, yet official way. Sun shafts bursted through the windows, creating a beautiful clash with the wood panel floors. Cal shook his head, trying to remember something other than his name, but nothing came to him. Nothing. Not even a hint of a certain perfect, blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty that meant the universe to him. Cal shook his head and tried to remember who and where he was. Hearing someone come down the hallway, Cal panicked and climbed into the nearest closet, pushing back the jackets and shoes. After hearing the footsteps pass to his content, Cal slowly opened the door, peeking out to see no one was around. He exited the closet, and walked back to the center of the entrance way, mesmerized by the window, its sun shafts like messages from heaven. Hearing a gruff voice bark something from outside, Cal whipped around to see several intimidating figures burst through the door, with someone with metal claws springing from between his knuckles leading the charge. He was very hairy, with a light tan, and clothes that threatened to rip at any moment or flex of the muscles. Close behind was a fellow teenager, male, with brown hair and red sunglasses over his eyes, prepared to take them off, which confused Callum. A girl with flowing red hair was next to the boy, taking a fighting stance, and something about her struck Cal as odd, but he couldn't quite place it. On the other side of the man, a woman hovered over the ground, her eyes white like lightning and her white hair and eyes mixed well with her brown skin. Behind them all, Cal caught a glance of a blue, furry man standing in front of other teenagers, who eagerly peeked inside. Next to the blue man, an older man in a wheelchair sat, facing Callum, frowning. Cal tensed and readied for a fight, but the man with the claws relaxed and began chuckling.

"Cal!" the man chuckled. "I should have known that was you, you smell like the sun burst and you absorbed it. Gotten far stronger than the last time we met. You could have mentioned you were stopping by." Cal frowned and backed away.

"Do I know you?" Cal asked cautiously. The man frowned.

"Cal?" the man asked. "You saw me a few weeks ago. After Kitty accidently sent me into your dimension, you managed to get me back… Ice cream store? Thugs? You got shot? I told you to suck it up?" Cal's frowned deepened, and he took another step back.

"I don't remember that…" Cal said. The man frowned.

"Hm, you really don't remember practically giving your girl a heart attack when you got shot?" the man asked. Cal shook his head.

"I don't remember anything," Cal answered. "Nothing except my own name…" The man frowned, glancing back at the man in the wheelchair, who simply nodded.

"Well Cal, I'm Logan, and you saved my hide by sending me back home. Speaking of, this," he gestured to the mansion around him, "This is my home. Professor Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters." He stepped forward, and Cal half stepped back. "We aren't going to hurt you. This is Scott," he pointed half heartedly to the boy with the red sunglasses. "And Jean," he pointed to the girl with the red hair. "This is Storm," the woman with the white hair nodded, her eyes returning to normal and her feet touching the floor. "Outside, the blue fur-ball is Hank, otherwise known as Beast, and next to him is ol' Charlie himself." Professor Xavier nodded in acknowledgement. Cal swallowed hard and relaxed a bit.

"Can… Can you help me?" Cal asked, confused with practically everything. Logan nodded somberly.

"That's why this school is here," Logan answered.

Logan guided Cal to Professor Xavier's study. Cal sat down, and Logan leaned against the desk, which was empty.

"Look here Callum, I can't promise you much. I can't promise you we'll get your memory back. I can't promise you that you'll ever get home. I can't promise you that everything will turn out alright. But I can promise you that we will do the best we can with whatever we have to work with. I already know you've got enough energy and power to put Hiroshima to shame, and for sure we will help you control and train here. On the side, we help the world with their larger scale problems, like villains with their own gifts. Now, I'm going to go get Charles and he's going to enter your mind. Before you freak out, he's just going to look for answers. He's going to try to find memories and perhaps return them to you." Cal nodded, still frowning, and Logan opened the door. Professor X wheeled in, and Logan leaned against the door. Professor X made his way next to Cal, studying him.

"Callum, please relax. I am going to enter your mind to see what I can find out. It's possible that I may unearth your memories, which could be painful… Are you ready?" Professor X asked. Cal swallowed and nodded, hoping for the best.

Charles Xavier closed his eyes, focusing intently, and entered Cal's mind. He found himself seeing nothing but black, and he frowned, delving deeper. Finally, Charles came to a door, and he hesitated. Unsure of what was on the other side, Charles used his power to open the door, but keep everything in. He entered, making sure to keep the door open in order to not lock himself in. He looked around inside, seeing bright, colorful images. He saw a Victorian home, similar to his own, which held orphans, mostly without powers. He saw a boy similar to Cal's age, Mason. He saw Kara, her hair glowing in the sunlight and the bluest eyes. He saw a being that didn't quite have a shape, but radiated power. He saw layers of pain upon pain, each layer creating more and more of a compressing, crushing feeling. Struggling deeper, Charles saw a man, greasy, black hair and silver armor, grinning evilly as he stood over Cal. He saw a girl with dirty blonde hair, and Cal's hazel eyes. He saw the being again, this time he seemed to be conscious of Charles and where they were. Charles kept going, seeing a machine that he somehow knew was bad. He got to the deepest part of the pain, seeing Kara lay dead, and broke free of the pressure as he saw Cal, dead. Suddenly, he was pulled out of Cal's mind, and briefly locked in his own. The being from Cal's mind was there, studying Charles. For a moment, no one spoke.

"Callum's mind is blank for a reason," the being said. "This is Callum presently is but a fragment of his entire soul. This piece is too small to create a parallel universe exactly the same as this, but with him in it. Instead, this small piece of soul was put directly in this world, and it wasn't able to create separate memories. This piece of soul is so fragile, that the pain that Callum has been through would destroy it… You felt the sense of the pain, which alone is a significant cross to bear. Do you understand?" Charles nodded.

"What… What brought his soul to break off?" Charles asked. The being audibly sighed.

"It was either allow him to remain dead, or he goes through a loophole that brings him back at the cost of some of his soul…" the being briefly answered. Charles frowned. "Now, I must go. I am taking too much energy to reach you in your world." Without another word, the being disappeared and Charles was brought back to the real world. Eyes wide, his body pale, cold, and shaking, Logan rushed over to him.

"Hey Chuck," Logan said, studying him. "You ok?" Charles nodded.

"Well," Charles said, looking at Callum. "There's no sign of your memories anywhere… I'm sorry. Now, I will have Scott show you around, as I assume you would be willing to stay with us. Logan, I need to talk to you…" Cal nodded and got up to leave, opening the door and seeing the boy with red sunglasses come his way. Scott waved, and Cal met him halfway. Once Cal was out of earshot, Logan closed the door and looked at Charles.

"What is it?" Logan asked, worried. "I've never seen you come out of someone's head looking like that, not even my own…" Charles thought for a moment.

"Logan, I found his memories…" Charles said slowly. Before Logan could become outraged or react, he continued. "His memories were hidden in a closet of sorts. I glanced through them Logan, and it wasn't pretty. There's so much pain, so much emotion, that I fear that if too much of that came back to him at once, he'd become… insane. Whether evil insane or response-less insane, I am not sure, but I would like to avoid both. I've been in your mind, Logan, and seen the horrors… But his mind… His mind has more pain, but no regret… Your pain was laced with regret, making it sad and cope-able. His pain was for others, and he is proud of it… To put it simply, his mind may shatter with too much pain at once…" Logan frowned and sighed.

"So, he still has his powers, but he's stuck here… forever?" Logan asked. Charles sighed.

"Honestly, I don't know if he will be here till the day he dies… Or if one day he'll be able to find his way home… But for his sake I hope he finds his way home. For now, let's give him a home. I'm sure he'll be eager to help you with your project." Logan cracked a smile.

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Logan said. "And I think he's perfect for my project…"

Cal followed Scott throughout the mansion, listening intently to each room and mentally making a map in his head. They passed a huge dining hall, which confused Cal on who and how someone could make enough food for everyone.

"This is the boy's side of the dorms," Scott was explaining. "We have several bathrooms, but we never go over to the girl's side at night. During the day it's okay, but he obviously have to keep the doors open. This is Kurt." Scott gestured into his room, and Cal glanced in, seeing a furry, blue boy with an equally blue tail sitting on the bed across from Scott's. He held up his three fingers, waving.

"Hello!" Kurt said excitedly. "I'm Kurt, I can teleport." Cal frowned for a moment, but smiled.

"That's cool!" Cal said. "Bet that comes in handy when you wake up late!" Scott and Kurt both laughed.

"That's pretty much was he uses his gifts for," Scott joked. He waved good-bye to Kurt, who waved back. Scott continued down the hall, coming to another room. "This is Bobby's room," he let Cal walk in. Upon entering, Cal felt a significant change in the temperature, like someone had teleported them to one of the poles. Cal saw a boy encased in ice laying on his bed, headphones over his ears. He noticed the duo and waved, not bothering to take off his headphones. Scott chuckled and went back out to the hallway. Cal followed him eagerly, enjoying the warmth of it.

"I don't know where Spyke is, but he's in the room across the hall," Scott said, glancing in the room across the hall. He shrugged and continued to the end of the hallway, taking a right. "That's pretty much all the boys our age, seems like girls tend to receive the mutant genes more often." At Cal's confused face, Scott chuckled. "The Professor will get to that with you." He led Cal down the hallway, turning right at the next corner. "This is the girl's side, and, I'm just warning you now, NEVER use their bathrooms, no matter how much of an emergency it is…" Cal nodded, smiling lightly. The first room they came to, Scott stopped.

"This is Jean and Kitty's room," Scott explained. He glanced in and was greeted by a 'hello' from Kitty and a kiss from Jean. Jean nodded to Cal, while Kitty waved excitedly.

"Hi Cal!" Jean said in Cal's mind. Cal frowned for a moment, but something inside him seemed to understand.

"Hi Jean," Cal answered back in Jean's mind. Jean frowned and looked at Scott.

"What's his gift?" Jean asked. Scott opened his mouth, but closed it, frowning.

"You know, I don't know… I never asked. Cal, what can you do?" Scott asked. Cal shrugged.

"I don't know, but Logan says he saw me survive a bullet to the heart…" Cal answered honestly. Something inside him clicked, but nothing came to mind.

"But you spoke to me in MY mind…" Jean said. "You're not telepathic?" Cal shook his head.

"He's telepathic?" Kitty asked, excited.

"Not as far as I know…" Cal said. There was a moment of confusion, but Kitty broke the silence.

"Well, hi Cal, I'm Kitty, and I can do this!" she said, reaching through the wall next to her. To Cal's amazement, she stepped through the wall and came out the door to the next room. Cal smiled, impressed.

"That's cool!" Cal admitted. "I wish I could do that!" There was a moment of silence, with the trio in front of Cal struggling not to crack a smile or let loose a laugh. "Not for those reasons!" Cal protested, and everyone let out a laugh.

"We know," Scott said. "We're just messing with you…" Cal scoffed lightly, shaking his head with a slight smile. Kitty waved good-bye, and Jean kissed Scott again, and they moved on to the next room.

"This is Rogue's room," Scott said. He knocked on the door, and Rogue appeared, most of her body clothed, including her hands. Rogue rolled her eyes.

"'Ello," Rogue said, a Southern drawl in her voice. "You must be Cal. Careful not to touch my skin, cause I can absorb people's life." Cal glanced at Scott, slightly confused.

"She can take your memories, gifts, and kill you," Scott warned. "You'd probably live, and you'd still have both your memories and powers, but Rogue doesn't want to hurt anyone." Cal 'oh'-ed, and Rogue waved good-bye.

"Well, I got homework," Rogue said, closing the door. Scott continued down the hall.

"This is Tabitha and Jubilee's room," Scott explained. "Tabitha can create explosions, and Jubilee can shoot fireworks. Don't make either of them mad, because you'll regret it!" Cal nodded, and Scott continued. Cal glanced behind him, feeling someone watching him, and turned to see a shadowy figure that was peeking out disappear. Cal glanced at Scott, who didn't seem to notice, and shrugged it off.

"This is Laura's room. She's like Logan in more ways than one. She doesn't like to talk about it, but the jist of it is that she was experimented on, like Logan, with Logan's DNA, and she has his abilities and training, but I'll admit, Logan has more experience," Scott explained. He knocked on the door, but there was no answer. Scott started to open the door, but Cal grabbed his wrist.

"She might be asleep," Cal pointed out. Scott frowned, confused at how Cal could have figured that before him, but ignored the feeling.

"You're probably right, there are more of us around here somewhere, but while there's still time I'd like to show you some other stuff," Scott said, leading the way back downstairs to outside.

Outside was amazing, with courts and fields of all kinds. There was a basketball court, baseball diamond, football field, soccer field, playground for the littler ones, open field, a pool, and plenty of forest for the adventuring types. Cal stared in wonder at the options before him.

"I never had this much space before at…" Cal started, frowning. Something in the back of his mind was clawing desperately to remind him of something, but quickly disappeared. Scott frowned.

"Do you remember something?" Scott asked. Cal shook his head.

"Thought I did, but I guess it was just nothing," Cal answered. Scott nodded. Cal watched one boy, probably about 8 years old, make clones of himself, and they all began to kick a soccer ball around together. Scott didn't introduce anyone to him, but waved to a few kids and quickly went inside.

"Well, I should probably take you back to the Professor," Scott said. Cal followed him inside, but stopped him.

"Wait, what is your gift?" Cal asked. Scott laughed.

"Oh yeah, I'd completely forgotten to tell you. My eyes can fire heatless concussive force… Basically I shoot energy from my eyes…" Scott explained. "But I can't control it, so I have to either keep my eyes closed or wear these glasses." Cal nodded.

"Like heat vision…" Cal said, trying to understand and with the words 'heat vision', something inside him clicked once more. "But without the heat…" Scott nodded.

"That's a good way of putting it," Scott said. "Actually, before I take you back, I'd better show you the danger room…" Cal's eyes lit up slightly.

"That sounds fun…" Cal said, choosing his words carefully as he followed Scott. They went downstairs, where the mansion stopped being wood and turned into metal walls, ceiling, and doors. Scott found a door and put his hand on a small screen beside it.

"Welcome, Cyclops," a computer voice echoed through the hallway.

"We get code-names sometimes. Bobby is Iceman, Kurt is Nightcrawler, and there are some who don't really care about one. Like Jean or Rogue for instance. Although, technically Rogue is already a nickname," Scott explained, seeing Cal's confused face. Cal nodded in understanding and followed Scott into the room. "You stay down here, I'm going to give you a little test run." Cal nodded and watched as Scott rode an open elevator in the corner of the room up to the control booth. A few moments later, Cal heard the computer and watched as panels of metal slid aside to reveal various guns and weapons.

"Scanning trainee," the computer said. Not half a second later, it continued. "Trainee not recognized. Terminating threat."

The next few moments seemed like eternity as Cal instinctively scanned the weapons, their angles of fire, obstacles, and mapped out his movements. The machines seemed to be waiting for movement to begin attacking, and Scott was furiously pressing buttons, trying to stop the faulty machine.

Cal leapt over the first gun, and everything was thrown into chaos. Guns fired with the smallest pauses, new weapons replaced the broken ones as quickly as they broke, and Cal was an untouchable whirlwind as he danced around the deadly room, eyes glowing their familiar golden glow. He leapt off walls, forcing guns to shoot at him and miss, hitting other weapons. He tangled robotic tentacles that seemed to come from nowhere. At one point, Cal even effortlessly jumped out from inside an open metal box that was closing in on him. Finally, the computer seemed to run out of weapons and guns.

"Machinery low, commencing defense program Omega," the computer stated. Suddenly, everything withdrew back into the walls and panels they had come from, except two weapons that seemed to be cattle prods. They shifted on the walls, sliding up and down, left and right, as needed, till they were in line with Callum. Not realizing what they did, Cal waited for the weapons to make the first move, till he realized they had entrapped him within an almost completely transparent bubble. He tried to punch it to break through, but it made no difference, in fact, a sharp electric shock ran through him instead, and Cal gritted his teeth in pain. Determined, Cal punched the bubble again, and even though the painful shock ran through him again, he noticed a small dent.

Meanwhile, Scott was out of keys to press, and pressed the emergency button a third time, just as Professor Xavier, Logan, Beast, and Storm entered through the door behind him. Realizing what was happening to Callum, Beast and Storm rushed forward to shut off the protocol, but Logan held them back.

"Watch," was all that Logan said, and after glancing at Charles, who didn't argue and instead wheeled himself forward to watch, they relaxed slightly and watched themselves.

After the 13th punch, Cal began to feel the rawness of his muscles, both the stinging and burning of his flesh, and the over accelerated heartbeat, but also felt his mind clear. He took a deep breath, ignoring the pain in his body, the frustration of his amnesia, the aching that something, or maybe someone, was missing along with his memories, and let loose a punch that would have impressed even the Juggernaut. Electricity coursed and arched all over his body, and Cal felt his heart simply stop, but he himself didn't stop. Instead, he withdrew his fist from the new hold in the bubble, ignoring the blood and scrapes, and wrenched open the bubble. As he did, the entire building momentarily flickered, causing a blackout, as all the available power went to the electrified bubble. Cal felt his entire body go numb, but he forced himself to keep going, continuously opening the hole more and more. Finally, the opening was wide enough to fit Cal, and Cal used the last of his strength to jump through, landing limp on the cold, metal floor. The lights flickered again, and Cal felt so much pain, so much agony, so much… familiarity. He let the pain finish, and the building's power returned to normal. Cal's vision was blurry, but he didn't care, there wasn't much to look at on the ceiling, as he felt his eyes close.

"Is he dead?" Storm asked, worried beyond belief. Logan smirked and shook his head.

"Well, I needed to make sure Callum was the same Callum first off. This may sound sadistic, but you wouldn't have believed me if I just told ya what he could do… We had to let him demonstrate his gifts. Callum takes pain and converts it into energy of his own control. He can channel that energy to do whatever he pleases," Logan explained. Charles and Beast were speechless.

"Logan, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but he appears to be deceased…" Beast pointed out. Logan snorted.

"Nah Hank, he's just converting the pain into energy. The only way this kid's dying is by natural causes," Logan said. Charles nodded.

"And from what I saw in his memories is true, the only other way to kill him would be if he used all his power and then was painlessly killed… or if he used all his power to bring someone back from death, taking on their wounds and pain as his own… He wouldn't have enough energy or time to keep himself alive to heal…" Charles noted. Storm and Beast looked at him, confused.

"Charles? What are you getting at?" Storm asked. Charles sighed.

"That's how he died the first time… That's how this particular piece of soul landed here…" Charles explained. Before anyone could ask Charles what he meant, Charles turned to Scott.

"Scott, listen to me very carefully," Charles demanded. Scott nodded, bewildered and guilt-ridden. "This exercise was of Logan's doing, not your own. No matter when Callum managed the time to come down here, the result would have been the same. Callum is not dead, do you understand?" Scott nodded, speechless. "Good, now you must not breath a word of this to anyone, but as you are a teenager and will need to confide in someone, you may only tell, and I mean she may not tell anyone either, only tell Jean… Callum has a good heart, but Magneto or Mystique or someone else may hear of this and do all they can to twist his mind… Do you understand?" Scott nodded again, a bit more composed. "Good, now Logan, how long do we have before he wakes up?" Logan shrugged. "Well, Hank if you wouldn't mind carrying Mr. Orson to his bed." Hank nodded.

Cal felt himself again, not completely he would say, but definitely more whole. Shrugging, he finished putting on his armor and flew out the window, seeing a girl with the bluest eyes, her blonde hair dangling in the wind. She smiled and said something that he couldn't quite catch, and she flew off. Smiling to himself, Cal chased her, keeping a watchful eye on the city below him. He spotted what appeared to be two gangs on either side of the road, walking towards each other, guns still on their belts, but their hands over them. Shaking his head, Cal peeled off from chasing the girl and flew down between them. As they saw him, they pulled their guns and desperately fired at the opposing gang. Swiftly, Cal blacked each bullet, his armor catching it and magnetically holding them against it. A few lucky bullets managed to hit chinks in the armor, and Cal winced under the helmet. When the shooting stopped, Cal relaxed, and the bullets fell to the ground like rain. Without a word, one gang ran, fear in their eyes, but the girl zipped by, catching and cuffing them one by one. Cal smiled, feeling accomplished, just before a baseball bat broke over his armor. Sighing, Cal turned to see the remaining gang wielding various blunt instruments. The guy that had hit him with a baseball bat backed away slowly, but the rest simply charged. Cal ducked, dodged, caught, and punched each member of the gang, till they were all down for the count. Cuffing each one, Cal looked up to see the girl once again, grinning joyfully. She flew up higher, and Cal chased her. Cal kept chasing her, higher and higher, till he began falling in an overwhelming feeling of pain.

Cal woke up, sitting up. His heart racing, he looked around the empty room. Noticing the furniture and walls and analyzing everything his eyes could see, he relaxed and fell back on the bed. He thought about his dream, unsure of what to think. None of what he saw seemed familiar, but as he thought about it, he felt it slipping, and he began to forget his dream. Finally, struggling to recall the dream, Cal fell back asleep.

Cal woke up again, this time emerging from a dreamless, restful sleep. Stretching, he got up.

"You always watch people when their sleeping?" Cal asked Logan, who was sitting in a chair in the corner of the room, reading a cigar magazine. Logan chuckled and put the magazine aside.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay," Logan said. "And kid, about that incident in the danger room… I'll be honest with ya, when I sensed you this morning, you seemed… far weaker than last time we met, and I just wanted to be sure you were you. I'm sorry for the test, but I had to be sure it was you. If it's any consolation, dinner's ready, and Storm's a great cook." Cal sighed and shrugged, understanding the paranoia that Logan had had.

"I understand," Cal admitted, unsure how he did, but he did. "You were just being cautious. Now, how do I get to the dining room?" Logan smiled and got up.

"Follow me," Logan answered. He led Cal down the stairs, and soon they were at the door to the dining room. Logan entered nonchalantly, and Cal followed close behind. Upon entering, Cal felt the eyes of many people studying him, and he didn't like it. He didn't like the feeling that people were trying to visually pry into his life. He didn't like the feeling of people trying to determine his weaknesses, his faults. Instead, Cal ignored the curious stares and sat down near the end of the table, with Logan next to him. There was a minute or so of silence while Logan dished himself some food before he looked up to see all the stares of the other kids.

"You kids forget your manners?" Logan barked. "Or did you forget how to eat and need a refresher course?" The kids quickly looked at their plates and continued eating, occasionally glancing at Callum. Cal ate his food in silence, studying the numerous exits out of some mysterious habit, and watched as the rest of the children finished eating and went to work on either homework or chores. Finally, when he finished eating, Cal took his dirty dishes to the kitchen, noting it by the only swinging doorway in the room, and placed them in the sink, where 3 kids were doing the numerous dished. One had the ability to manipulate the water, making it wash the dishes with precision and ease. The next was holding his hand over the damp dishes, causing a soft glow and plenty of heat, while the final one blurred around, putting them away in cabinets and drawers. They stopped what they were doing and for a moment no one moved. Embarrassed, Cal felt his face grow hot and after a flicker of gold, disappeared.

Cal found himself in what appeared to be an attic, with one circular window allowing the evening sun to brighten the room. He glanced around, confused as to how he got there, but shook it off as he saw that the room was completely empty. No furniture, no boxes, nothing, not even a small scrap of paper or even any dust was on the floor. Confused, but oddly joyous at the quiet, empty space, Cal sat down on the floor, just taking in the peaceful tranquility. He didn't have to worry about curious people, his amnesia, what his life was going to be like, or anything. He could just sit there, in the breathtaking silence, and relax. Sighing, Cal tried to listen for any sign of life below him, but heard nothing. Smiling to himself, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He just sat there for over an hour, till he felt a shadow move across the window. His eyes flipped open quickly, and he studied the room. He didn't see anyone, so he assumed it was a passing bird and closed his eyes again.

But all in one motion, Cal was on his back with what felt like 2 knives held to his throat. His eyes opened to see a girl with black hair and green eyes staring back at him. Cal frowned, but made sure to keep himself from fighting her off, because something deep inside him told him not to.

"How did you get in here?" the girl asked. Her voice was quiet, yet stern, and demanding. Cal struggled to shrug without making it seem sudden.

"I don't know," Cal said. "I was in the kitchen and then I turned around and I was here…" The girl studied his face, searching for any sign that he was lying, then growled and got up off him. She didn't bother helping him to his feet, and turned away from him. Cal got up, curious as to what the hell just happened.

"Hi, I'm Callum…" Cal said, introducing himself. The girl turned around, glaring at him, but didn't say anything. Deep down, Cal understood. He was new, he was different, he wasn't trusted enough to be taken seriously. "I'm sorry about your little private place." Cal continued, apologizing. "I don't know how I got here and wasn't sure how to get out…" She studied him intensely, looking for reason to distrust him. "Must be the only private, peaceful place in this house, and I'm sorry I just ruined that for you…" Finally, she spoke, still glaring and watching closely.

"To get out, go through the window, onto the roof, and go to your bedroom's window," she said. Cal nodded in understanding, and got to the window. Light was fading, making it difficult to see, but Cal saw the narrow ledge that was the roof outside the window, and the several story fall after that. Sighing, he opened the window, silently, and climbed through. He pressed his body against the wall, keeping as far away from the edge as possible, and made his way to the boy's hallway window. Glancing in to see a completely empty hallway, Cal silently opened the window and climbed in, shutting it behind him. He went down the hall, entering into his room, and sat on the bed. Lost and confused, he laid back on his bed and stared at the ceiling for a while.

Who was he? Where did he come from? Why was he here? What or who was missing, aside from his memories? These were all questions Cal asked himself, pausing each time for some sort of answer in his mind. He recalled his dream, and how… right it felt. Flying, chasing that beautiful girl, the armor, saving people… Cal shook his head. 'It was only a dream,' he told himself. 'Only a dream…' He closed his eyes and felt drowsiness overtake him.

After Scott told Jean what had happened, Jean gasped in shock.

"Logan did that as an admissions test?" Jean asked, outraged.

"But the Professor allowed it!" Scott said, bewildered. Jean frowned.

"Why would the Professor allow Logan to practically kill Callum?" Jean asked. Scott shrugged.

"I have no idea, even with what I heard them say, but he BEAT DPO!" Scott said. Jean's eyes widened in surprise.

"What? How? That's supposed to be able to beat any mutant!" Jean exclaimed. Scott nodded.

"It is! No one has ever beaten it! But somehow, Cal did! He just kept punching and pushing himself till it broke open and he crawled out!" Scott explained. Jean shook her head in disbelief.

"I know you're not lying, but can I see for myself?" Jean asked. Her general rule was to ask for permission to look into someone's mind. Scott nodded.

"Of course," Scott answered. Jean put her hands on either side of Scott's head and closed her eyes, focusing. She saw what Scott saw, and heard what Scott hear, reliving the awestruck moment in which Callum Orson crawled out of the bubble, stumbled, and collapsed on the floor.

"But that's…" Jean stared.

"Impossible, Logan and the Professor both said it themselves," Scott finished. Jean shook her head again.

"But… how? I heard him talk in my mind, like a telepath, and apparently he teleported from the kitchen after dinner…" Jean said. "What are his gifts?" Scott shook his head.

"I don't know, but so far it's just been whatever the situation calls for…" Scott said. There was a moment of silence where they each thought.

"Maybe that's it!" Jean exclaimed. Scott looked at her.

"What do you mean?" Scott asked. Jean took his hand.

"He has the ability to adapt to whatever the situation calls for!" Jean suggested. Scott frowned, thinking about it.

"That makes sense," Scott said. "But how would he adapt so quickly? Not even HE could do it like that!" Jean shook her head.

"Well, look at it this way. Pietro moves so fast you can't see him, but James is only a light blur. So, Cal's gifts are a bit more evolved." Jean gasped. "What if he was Cal's father? That way they could share the same genetics and his abilities would be a bit more advanced…" Scott shook his head.

"He never had a family, let alone a girlfriend," Scott pointed out. "As Logan pointed out, he can 'adapt to anything, except a relationship'." Jean laughed.

"Well, I think maybe at least, Cal's related to him…" Jean said. Scott shrugged.

"I mean, he was old enough to know that his family was dead, and remember the time he ran away?" Scott asked. Jean nodded. "He went to look for his family… but couldn't find any living relatives…" Jean nodded sadly.

"I remember, he was a mess when he got back… and then Mystique got to him…" Jean continued. Scott nodded somberly.

"And then Magneto joined in…" Scott said. "And I don't know what happened, but…"

"But he came home dying…" Jean finished. She squeezed his hand tighter. "What if the same thing happens to Callum?" Scott shook his head.

"It won't. The Professor and all them won't let it happen again," Scott said. Jean sniffed.

"I miss Bartholomew…" Jean said, her eyes watering. Scott hugged her tight as Jean started crying.

"I miss him too Jean, I miss him too…" Scott said. "Maybe Callum's his way of reminding us he's watching over us…" Jean nodded.

"Maybe he sent Callum to replace him… To be the next Protector…" Jean suggested.

"Is Callum going to join our excursions?" the girl asked Logan accusingly. "Because he's not like us. He's not as skilled as us!" Logan sighed and put the paper down.

"First off, no, he's not like us, at least not the way you'd assume. He's like us psychologically. His mind is fragile like ours. He's felt pain like ours. Just because he can't pop some claws from his hands doesn't mean he's not like us," Logan explained.

"Fine," the girl said angrily. "But don't tell me he's joining our missions!" Logan smirked.

"He needs training. The quickest way to figure out what he can do and his instincts are for him to join us. For all he knows, it's a one-time thing unless you want him to stay," Logan said. "I think you'll like him." The girl scowled.

"I highly doubt that," the girl said, turning around.

"Tomorrow, after school, after dinner, Laura, don't be late," Logan said. Laura growled.

"You'll be lucky if I show up at all!" Laura yelled, storming out. Logan chuckled and picked the newspaper back up.

A/N: There's the next sequence of 'The Road to Happiness, The Long One' Tell me how you like it and if I should continue! Please and Thank you!


	2. Chapter 2

The Fresh Start, Called Amnesia

"We have only ourselves to blame for the problems we create, but no one can blame us for trying"

Cal woke up the next morning, glancing at the clock, which read 5:30 am. He got up quickly, grabbing a towel from the closet and jumping into the shower. When he got back, he opened the drawers of his dresser to find fresh clothing. Seeing no one else was in the room, he quickly changed clothing. After, he went downstairs, entering into the dining room, to see Logan eating breakfast. Wordlessly, Cal sat down next to him and poured himself some cereal. Logan discreetly studied Cal's habits. How the cereal was spilled, which hand he used for what, how quickly he ate.

"You ready for school?" Logan asked. Cal looked at him.

"I figured I'd go eventually, but can I go this soon?" Cal asked. Logan laughed.

"The school knows that the Professor gets new kids fairly often, and the Professor and Hank make sure we have school supplies and map out a schedule for all the new arrivals," he explained. "Your backpack will probably be in your room before school." Cal nodded in understanding. Eating and finishing quickly, Cal ran back upstairs to find a backpack on his bed, with a map and schedule for school beside it.

Before Cal followed everyone out the door, Cal heard the Professor's voice in his mind.

"Callum, as it is customary for your fellow teenagers to be curious about you, they, as well as others, will ask you what your gifts are, and I will explain later, but for now you must lie and say they are heightened senses and reflexes. Scott and Jean know the truth, but you cannot allow anyone else to find out. I promise I will explain later," Charles said, leaving Cal's mind. Cal frowned, but understood and prepared himself to stay unknown and secretive. Cal walked behind everyone as they left for the bus stop. They got to the corner street, which was a fairly decent walk, and waited. Under the Professor's advisement, no one used their powers, but most of the kids at school knew that these particular students were 'freaks'. Cal hung behind everyone, watching and listening, not wanting to jump into anyone's conversation. He stood silently, glancing around to get aware of his surroundings, when he noticed the girl. She was a distance away, standing with some other girls, but glaring daggers at him. Cal was confused, but didn't hold eye contact, looking away. He felt her stare continue, and it didn't leave till the bus arrived. When the bus arrived, Cal glanced around one last time, but the girl had disappeared and he realized that no one had approached him asking questions. Feeling lucky in that aspect, Cal climbed onto the bus to be greeted by more than a few disgusted looks and sneers. Everyone quickly sat down in the front of the bus, but the entire front was filled, and Cal saw only a few open seats in the back. Making his way slowly to the back, Cal saw every movement, and everything slowed. He saw a foot sneak out, trying to trip him. Cal stepped over the foot, but soon another foot in front of him tried again. This continued for a few rows, till Cal felt someone get up behind him. A simulation played in Cal's mind, where he turned around and stopped the bully from pushing him, but he shrugged it off, understanding the importance of keeping a low profile. He felt hands press against his back, shoving him forward and down. Cal let himself fall, catching himself against the cold metal of the bus floor. Roars of laughter erupted from the kids around him, but Cal didn't do anything more than get up and continue moving forward. He felt the apologetic stares of his newfound friends at the front, but once he got to the back, he sat down, alone and isolated. Eager to harass the new kid, most of the kids turned to face him, sadistic grins on their faces.

"So, new freak, what makes you freaky?" one kid asked, the one who shoved him. Cal didn't meet his eyes and remained silent, his way of keeping low. The kid stood up and moved closer, forcing another out of their seat. He stared Cal down, a creepy glint in his eyes. After Cal didn't answer, he sneered.

"What's the matter? You mute?" the kid asked. Cal didn't answer again, and instead looked out the window. He watched the road, the traffic, the cars. The kid grew angry as his question wasn't answered again. Riled, he reached out and smacked Cal. All the mutants in the front of the bus gasped in shock, and Cal blinked a few times to control his anger. The kid grinned, overestimating Cal's struggle to control himself. He made a fist and punched Cal. A red mark spread across his face, and his friends gasped again, a few trying to get up, but others holding them back. Cal sighed and shot a quick glare at the kid, but shrugged it off.

'He's not worth it,' Cal thought to himself, annoyed. As the bus came to a red light, the kid followed Cal's gaze out the window. He saw a dog wander into the road, and a car turn onto the road, heading straight for the dog. The car swerved, towards the bus and away from the dog, but before the car could crash, and no one else on the bus noticed as suddenly the car reversed, as did the dog, but this time the dog was safely across the street before the car turned. The kid looked at Cal, whose eyes still held a flicker of gold, and frowned.

"You're a freak," the kid said, moving away. "Manipulating reality…" He moved away, and everyone else nearby followed. Cal sighed and held his head in his hands, realizing he was now this much closer to being outed as one of the most powerful mutants, already failing his one task.

As his first hour started, Cal walked into the classroom to see a bit more order than he was expecting. Everyone was either seated or in small groups around a desk. No one paid any attention to him as he settled himself in the back, silently and without discussion. He sat down, hoping news of his incident hadn't spread quite yet, or maybe no one believed it. Sighing, Cal pulled out his math book, a notebook, and a pencil, trying to stay discreet. As he put his pencil down, he felt a cold presence attempt to enter his mind. They struggled to, and eventually gave up, but Cal glanced around the room to see a girl with long, white hair staring at him, studying him, her green eyes cold. What she wore, Cal noticed, was flattering and showing a bit more skin than he was comfortable with, and Cal looked away quickly, pretending never to have noticed her, but he felt her gaze on him linger a bit longer before leaving. Cal waited two dreaded minutes before class started, hoping, as a new kid, nothing would have to happen. But, as he would soon find out, his luck wasn't that good.

"Good morning class," the teacher said. She stood up from her desk and scanned the room, mentally checking each seat for who was absent. "As you may have seen, we have a new student with us-"

"New freak," someone muttered, and the teacher frowned in the direction of the speaker.

"Um, no," the teacher said. "I won't tolerate name calling in this class. Britney, that's your first warning. Now, we have a new student joining us today, one Callum Orson. Callum, would you please stand up?" Cal's face flushed red with embarrassment as he stood up. "Callum, I am your math teacher, Mrs. Warren. Class, this is Callum." The entire class covered their faces in snickers at the 'new freak' except the girl who had earlier been studying him, who simply studied him more.

"Ignore them," a voice in Cal's head said, definitely female. "They're both jealous and fearful of our gifts." Cal glanced at the girl in white, her cold stare seemingly piercing his soul. "My name is Emma, Emma Frost. They don't know I'm a telepath, but they'll do whatever I say. I'll take you under my wing," Cal frowned, unsure of whether or not to trust her. He sat back down as Mrs. Warren began teaching.

"So… I'll owe you one?" Cal asked back, wary. The girl physically shrugged.

"Not really, but if we're going to be friends, friends ask each other for favors…" Emma answered.

At this point in time, Cal knew the risks of 'getting in bed' with someone let Emma, someone who abused her powers for her personal gain. He knew better than to trust someone like that, but a part of him wondered if she was also doing this because she couldn't enter his mind, and was curious. So Cal, unsure of trusting Emma, started a long, careful path to trust and friendship.

"I'm new to this whole thing, but I think I'm going to need some time to think on that offer," Cal said. Emma nodded.

"I understand," was all she said before she turned back around to listen to the teacher. Half lost, Cal struggled through the lesson, taking notes as best he could, stumbling through the homework as best he could before the bell rang.

"Even if we're not friends, I'm always willing to tutor you," Emma said in his mind.

"Maybe one day I'll have to take you up on that," Cal responded. Emma laughed lightly in his head, a mixture of amusement and 'you will and I know it'. She blew him a kiss before leaving for her next class. Cal packed his things and followed his schedule, his mind confused on what Emma's true intentions were. He was so focused on figuring out Emma, that he didn't see the big guy in front of his path. They made contact, bumping shoulders, and they both looked at each other.

"Hey freak! Watch where you're going!" the kid yelled. Everyone quickly turned to their nearest friend and began whispering, "Fucking mutants…" Cal sighed in relief that words were all that was exchanged, and kept going to his next class, PE. Upon arriving, he had three minutes to change, which he did in about 30 seconds. After, he stashed his backpack in his locker and went out to the gym to see Logan standing in a gym coach's uniform, pulling it off quite well, and Kitty waved to him, causing Cal to shyly wave back.

"Alright kiddos," Logan said once everyone had finished changing. "Today we're going to be doing the old-fashioned game of popular kids versus not popular kids. A game known as… dodgeball." The few not popular kids groaned, except Cal, and the majority cheered. Logan winked at Cal before continuing. "Now, judging from what I've seen in class, I've made teams already." He proceeded to split everyone into teams. Cal and Kitty were put on the non-popular side, which was expected due to their gifts, along with three other kids. 5 to 12, Cal didn't like his odds, but knew Logan enough to hold his tongue. Logan placed the balls on the line and held his whistle.

"Now, you know the rules. You get hit, you're out. Your ball gets caught, you're out. Your team catches a ball, a teammate comes back in. And, for our special kids in here-" Logan explained before he was interrupted.

"Cough, cough, freaks," someone on the other team muttered. He was rewarded with high fives and laughs.

"Lance, 3 laps, NOW!" Logan said, angry.. Lance scoffed and started running, his team groaning and complaining. "I'll keep saying it and dishing out punishments, but I won't tolerate your bullshit. Mutants are human beings, just like yerselves. If anything, they should be calling you guys 'freaks'." The popular side quieted down quickly, knowing Logan enough not to push further and piss him off more. "Now, for our mutants here, who shall remain nameless on both sides, no using your gifts." Everybody get to the back out of bounds like on your sides." Kitty walked beside Cal as they walked there.

"What Logan really means is 'don't get caught'," Kitty explained, grinning lightly. "And so far I haven't. So, I don't really know your gifts, and you might not either, but he'll see if you use them, but as long as the other team doesn't complain outright he won't call it…" Cal grinned.

"Thanks for the heads up," Cal said. Kitty nodded, grinning back, and got ready at the line.

"Ready. Set. GO!" Logan said, blowing his whistle. Cal and Kitty wisely stayed back, not taking chances, but one of their teammates didn't follow their lead, and was hit before he could even grab a ball. 4 to 12. Cal took a deep breath and analyzed the room, seeing everything, predicting every movement and projectile's angles. Not his powers, but his instincts, and while everyone else was moving, Logan watched carefully as Cal stood still, waiting for the first ball to be thrown. As the first ball left someone's hand, headed straight for Callum, Cal caught it with ease. 5 to 11. Cal readied the ball to throw and someone from the other team made daring eye contact. Cal threw the ball, fast and hard, at him, and he tried to jump over it as it smashed into his shins and bounced on the floor. 5 to 10. Cal ducked as another ball flew towards him, just inside his peripheral vision. One ball struck a teammate in the arm. 4 to 10. Cal watched as Lance finished his third lap and quickly joined in the game and caught a stray ball. 3 to 11. Cal grabbed a ball and, with precise timing, watched as Kitty threw a ball towards Lance, who was preparing to catch it, and threw his ball. The balls collided and flew in different directions, each catching someone unaware. 3 to 9. Kitty glanced at Cal, who was a bit more focused on surviving, with a new-found admiration. She turned around to pick up a ball, not noticing their last teammate getting hit, as the ball bounced off her back into the air, a double hit. Cal saw it, and dropped his ball, running towards the ball. He slid on his knees, the dusty floor doing its best to allow him to slide, but not without tearing up his knees a bit, and Callum caught the ball. 3 to 8. Logan raised an eyebrow at Cal's quick reaction and momentous decision, impressed himself. But, the game didn't stop in light of Cal's epic event. Another ball flew towards their third person, and he juggled it a few times before dropping it. 2 to 8. Cal scanned the room, holding his ball. He prepared to throw it as a ball flew towards him. He dropped his ball and caught it, whilst jumping over another ball that was headed for his legs. 3 to 7. Cal handed a ball to each of his teammates and turned to face the remaining seven. They each picked a target and threw, Cal's ball slamming someone in the arm, it ricocheting into another person's leg. 3 to 5. But Lance caught his third teammates ball, bringing a teammate back in. 2 to 6. Kitty's ball was impressive, hard and fast, unexpected for her tiny size, and managed to hit someone in the leg. 2 to 5. Out of balls, Cal and Kitty slowly backed up, giving themselves enough time to react to any ball. They spread out evenly in the middle, prepared for the volley of balls. As the balls flew, Cal glanced at Kitty, who danced her way around them. He ducked under one, did a fancy flip over another, and jumped over the last, but Cal watched as the ball literally passed through her toes. He glanced at Logan, who looked at the other team for their reactions, but quickly brought his attention back to the game as balls flew towards him. Determined to out-do Kitty, he side-stepped one, ducked one, rolled out of the way of another, and jumped up to catch one. 3 to 4. Kitty smirked at Cal's determination to out-do her. But Lance wasn't done, and tried to even the odds by throwing one as hard as he could as Cal's head. Cal noticed it, and ducked, but his teammate wasn't so lucky as it smash into his head. Logan blew the whistle.

"Ryan, are you alright?" Logan asked. Ryan nodded, getting up shakily and going to sit out, his nose rushing with blood. Logan studied him a moment longer before turning around. "Ok, continue!" He blew the whistle and the game continued, but he went to go get ice and paper towels. Cal picked up a ball and readied it, but Lance's actions replayed in his mind.

'If you had just caught it,' his mind told himself. 'If you had just caught it…' Cal shrugged it off and continued playing, but his head wasn't quite in it anymore. He struggled to keep his mind on the game, continuously zoning out one time after another.

"Look out!" Kitty cried, shoving him out of the way. Cal rolled on the floor before getting on his feet, but Kitty had gotten hit. 1 to 4. Cal winced at his mistake, but shook himself out of it, determined to make sure Kitty hadn't sacrificed herself for nothing. He picked up a ball in each hand, watching everything carefully. Cal threw one ball, nicking their shoulder. 1 to 3. Cal switched hands, and threw another, and someone jumped to avoid it, but due to their miscalculation, they jumped into it rather than away, and ended up flying back a few feet in turn. 1 to 2. Kitty cheered Cal on from the sidelines, eager to finally be able to beat the 'cool kids'. Cal swiftly sidestepped as a ball flew towards him and rolled to the side as another rocketed by him. He grabbed a ball, spun and threw it as hard as he could, his shoulder popping out of its socket. The target never had a chance as the ball slammed him in the gut. 1 to 1. Cal reached out to pick up another ball, but Lance hit the ball away from him. At this point, Cal realized he had a choice. He could turn his back to Lance and attempt to retrieve a ball, or he could wait till Lance threw one himself. Weighing the possibilities, Cal waited. For what seemed like eternity, Cal waited. Finally, Lance threw the ball, and Cal's world began shaking, like an earthquake. Cal stopped himself from falling over, but as the ball flew towards him, Cal had no choice but to catch it. The ball slammed into Callum's chest, and Cal quickly put his arms around the ball, refusing to let it escape. He caught the ball. Kitty and the rest of his team erupted in cheers, while Lance's team shot dirty looks their way. Logan watched with a glint of pride in his eyes. Kitty ran towards him, arms open wide for a hug, but she didn't get a chance as the entire gymnasium began shaking. Dust and small debris fell from the ceiling, and Logan snarled.

"Good game everyone, time to get changed, NOW!" Logan said, knowing exactly who was causing the earthquake. The earthquake quickly subsided, and Kitty gave Cal an unsuspecting hug. Cal flinched at the hug, and something inside him clicked yet again. Kitty felt him tense and let go, but remained beaming in joy.

"That was amazing!" Kitty said. She glanced around to make sure others were out of earshot. "I've never seen anyone stand their ground from vertigo during one of Lance's moments." Cal frowned.

"What do you mean?" Cal asked. Kitty glanced around again.

"Lance is…" Kitty whispered, leaning in. "Lance is a mutant too, and he can create earthquakes of all kinds." Cal's frowned deepened.

"But he-" Cal started.

"He called us 'freaks' because he's one of the most popular kids, and doesn't want to lose that by being outed as a mutant or not fitting in. He's scared of rejection," Kitty explained. Cal nodded in understanding. She glanced down and noticed Cal's bleeding knees. "Oh my goodness! That looks bad!" she said, gesturing to his knees. Cal frowned once more and glanced at his knees, which were raw and lightly dripping blood. Upon seeing his own blood, something inside him clicked.

"I…" Cal started. He held his hand over his knee, and Kitty watched as his eyes flickered their beautiful golden color, and once he removed his hand the injury and blood were gone. Kitty watched in odd fascination as Cal did the same with his other knee. Cal straightened up, and Kitty smiled in wonder and amazement.

"What can't you do?"


End file.
